Tech

Mark Zuckerberg: 'I'm concerned' about Trump immigration order

FILE - In this April 12, 2016 file photo, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg delivers the keynote address at the F8 Facebook Developer Conference in San Francisco. Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan are dropping lawsuits seeking to buy out Native Hawaiians who own small parcels of land within their 700-acre Kauai estate. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

The Facebook CEO said he was "concerned" about the recent executive order on immigration signed by Donald Trump.

"We need to keep this country safe, but we should do that by focusing on people who actually pose a threat. Expanding the focus of law enforcement beyond people who are real threats would make all Americans less safe by diverting resources, while millions of undocumented folks who don't pose a threat will live in fear of deportation," Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook post.

Zuckerberg also called out refugees — noting that his wife's family came to America as refugees from China and Vietnam — saying "we should also keep our doors open to refugees and those who need help."

As Zuckerberg pointed out in his post Friday, Trump's executive action on immigration affects him on more than a personal level. He pointed to his teaching experience with Dreamers, people who immigrated as children and are able to to legally work in the United States through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, but added that the immigration issue is one that could have a huge impact on Facebook's business as well.

Though he didn't call it out specifically, Facebook, like many tech companies, takes advantage of H-1B visas, which allow highly skilled workers to come and work in the United States. Donald Trump has criticized the program, saying he favors hiring American workers. A leaked draft of what is reportedly an executive order on immigration, reported by Vox earlier in the week, suggests Trump would make serious changes to the program and limit how many visas are granted. Limiting the visas would be a big blow to Facebook and others in the tech industry who rely on the visas for research and other areas.

last time Zuck came for Trump on immigration, it was at f8, and Trump land flipped out. Zuck then didn't even mention the candidate by name

The post comes as Zuckerberg and other Facebook executives have faced scrutiny for not publicly challenging Donald Trump. The last time Zuckerberg spoke out against Trump was at the company's F8 conference prior to the election.

Notably, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg also spoke out against one of Trump's executive actions for the first time in a post about the global gag rule that block NGOs from receiving federal funding if they perform abortions or talk about them with patients. "The best way to prevent abortion is through more family planning services, not fewer," Sandberg wrote. "Women’s rights are human rights – and there is no more basic right than health care."

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